Make your clients smile by writing THIS on your next billing statement

February 11, 2013 by
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Did you see this story: “Parents’ shock after restaurant bill shows $4 discount for their ‘Well Behaved Kids”.

The kids said “please” and “thank you” and were quiet during the meal.

Imagine that.

Even if the restaurant didn’t get world-wide attention for what they did, do you think the parents of these kids might tell some people about their experience?

I think so, too.

If the restaurant advertised a discount would be given to anyone whose kids are well behaved, the idea would have flopped. “Hey, my kids didn’t start a fire this time, where’s my friggin discount!”

What makes this work is that the discount was given after the fact. Totally unexpected. A happy surprise.

Guess what? You can achieve the same result with your clients.

Find a reason to give them a small discount on their next bill. Maybe they showed up at their first appointment on time. Maybe they were especially brave in the face of fear. Or maybe they did a great job at their deposition.

Find something positive and reward them.

You might even want to zero out something. The client expects to get charged for the letter you sent to their landlord. They open their bill and see a zero balance. Nice. Maybe it is their birthday. Or yours. Or maybe you did it because you like them.

Do you think you might score some points in the good will department? I think so, too.

Do you think you might get some world wide press?

“Client’s shock after attorney’s bill shows $100 discount for their ‘well behaved mother-in-law’.”

Nah, me neither.

Get more clients and increase your income. Click here to learn how.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Fees and Billing, Law office management Tagged With:

How to turn $100 a month into a steady stream of referrals

February 5, 2013 by
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In his twelve year career selling cars at a Chevrolet dealership, Joe Girard personally sold 13,001 cars. Do the math. That’s 90 cars a month, every month, twelve years in a row.

Holy cow. That’s got to be a world’s record.

Actually, it is. The Guinness Book of World Records says so, giving Joe the title of “The World’s Greatest Salesman.”

How on earth did he do it?

In his book, “How to Sell Anything to Anybody,” Joe tells all. One of his “secrets” was sending everyone who ever bought a car or stopped in for a test drive a monthly greeting card. Each month had a theme. In January, it was New Years. February was President’s Day, March was St. Paddy’s Day, and so on. The cards were colorful and fun, with a funny or charming line or two. Each card was hand signed by Joe.

If you were on his list, every month like clock work you got a card from Joe. If it was your birthday that month, you got a birthday card.

Now that’s not all Joe did, but he says these cards kept his name in front of enough people that in a very short period of time, he was getting a steady stream of referrals. Every day, people would call and people would walk-in and ask for Joe. Eventually, he had to hire assistants to handle all the customers.

Could you do something like that? Of course you could. Would it work today when nobody sends regular mail anymore. It will work even better today because nobody sends regular mail anymore.

Start with $100 a month as your marketing budget. (Yes, you can do more.) Send out 100 cards a month to clients and former clients. (It shouldn’t cost you more than $1 per card, including postage.) Do this every month for the next six months and watch what happens.

Every month you remind people who know, like, and trust you that you’re still around and still thinking about them. And every month, they’re prompted to think of you and, naturally, people they know who might need you.

Eventually, Joe’s customers looked forward to getting his cards each month. One month he was late and he got a bunch of worried calls from folks who thought he might be sick. Talk about a following.

Once you’re convinced that this is working, you can expand it to include your prospects, referral sources, and other “friends of the firm”.

Will you get referrals? Yes. Will you get 90 referrals a month and set a world record? I don’t know, but if you do, have a drink on Joe.

Marketing can help you earn more than you ever thought possible. Go here and find out for yourself.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Marketing legal services, Referrals Tagged With: , , ,

A simple way to add value to your legal services

February 4, 2013 by
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Our garage door was damaged when it closed on the rear bumper of my car.

We had three companies come out to give us estimates.

The first one said it was damaged beyond repair and explained why. He gave us an estimate to replace everything except the motor for $1129.

The second one agreed. Estimate: $875.

The third one said the door was fine. He said the track was bent and he could fix it. An hour and half later, he’d fixed the track, replaced some brackets, and installed a new weather strip. Total bill: $219.

The door has never been this quiet or run this smoothly. Even when it was first installed. My wife and I keep opening and closing it, marveling at our splendid “new” door.

Oh yeah, my wife sent the guy over to talk to our neighbor about her door. One of the previous estimators had noticed a gap or something and said to tell her she needed to have it serviced. Nope. The guy who got our business said her door was fine.

Imagine that.

Yes it does pay to shop around. And yes you should be leery of what so-called experts tell you, especially when they have something to sell. And yes you should pay attention to what other people say on Yelp and other such sites. The company we hired had dozens of five-star reviews and sterling comments. We’ll be adding ours.

Now, suppose you had this experience with your garage door and the next day a client asks if you could recommend a garage door company. Would you tell him about this one? Of course you would. You’d be doing him a big favor.

You probably know other companies you would recommend to your clients and contacts, as well as CPAs, insurance brokers, and other lawyers. And if your clients call and ask for a referral, you’d be sure to tell them.

But why wait for them to ask?

If you’re looking for a simple way to add value to your legal services, it doesn’t get any simpler than this. Contact your clients and tell them that if they ever need a referral to a garage door company, auto dealer, roofer, or anything else, they should call your office. Tell them you have a list of companies you have used personally or that other clients have used and recommended.

Encourage them to call. “What do you need? I’ll help you find it.”

Your recommendations help your clients save time and money and avoid problems. Do you think they might love you even more and tell all their friends about their wonderful attorney?

Your recommendations also help the vendors and professionals you recommend. Do you think they might be thankful for your referrals and inclined to reciprocate?

What’s that? You don’t know if you have time for all those calls?

Trust me, you want your phone ringing off the hook with people asking for recommendations because every time it does, you plant more seeds that grow into repeat business and referrals.

One more thing. Encourage your business clients and referral sources to do something similar for their clients and prospects. Why? So you can get your name on their list, of course.

Marketing is simple, if you know The Formula.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Marketing legal services, Referrals, Relationship marketing Tagged With:

Why that client hired another attorney instead of you

January 29, 2013 by
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Why do prospective clients come to your office to talk to you and then go out and hire someone else?

They need your help. They have the money. You answered all their questions thoroughly and politely. But they still said no.

We assume that because we have the skills and they have the need that they’re going to sign the retainer agreement, and most of the time they do. When they don’t, we have to remind ourselves that the first meeting with a prospective client is a job interview. When we don’t get the job, we have to stop and figure out why.

Sometimes, we don’t get hired because of the nonverbal cues we communicate. Did you fail to make eye contact? According to a survey of people who hire employees, 67% of job applicants make that mistake. Was your handshake too weak? 26% of job applicants failed that test. How about forgetting to smile? That omission plagues 38% of applicants.

Statistics say as much as 55% of the impact we make when meeting another person is nonverbal: the way we dress, walk, and act.

But maybe it’s not your body language. If you don’t get the job, maybe you made one of the “Top ten common mistakes at a job interview”. For example, number 8 is “Lacking Humor, Warmth, or Personality”. What, attorneys? No way.

How about number 6, “Concentrating Too Much on What You Want”. “Out out, damn ego.”

Number 2 on the list: Failing to Set Yourself Apart From Other Candidates.” That’s true of most attorneys, isn’t it? Again, we assume that because we have the skills and they have the need, they’re going to sign up. When they don’t, there’s a good chance this is why.

Number 1 on the list of mistakes: “Failing to Ask For the Job.” Relax, you don’t have to ask the client, “Do I get the job.” There are other ways to ask, such as, “Do you have any other questions before we get started on your case,” or “Would you like me to send your ‘New Client Kit’ to your home or to your office?” But you do have to close the deal.

One more thing. Don’t be complacent because prospective clients usually hire you. Yes, you got the job but that doesn’t mean you passed the interview. They may not have been thrilled with what you said or how you comported yourself but hired you because they were intimidated or didn’t know they had a choice.

You want your clients to like you and be glad they chose you. So work on yourself, even if you don’t think you have to, because marketing is everything you do to get and keep good clients.

Are you doing everything you can to get and keep good clients? If not, read this.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Closing the sale, Communication, Marketing legal services, Salesmanship Tagged With: ,

What did I do to piss you off?

January 15, 2013 by
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We’ve had the same gardener for the last eight or ten years and we’re very friendly. Last week, out of the blue, something was different. My wife greeted him as usual but got little more than a grunt in return.

My wife was puzzled. Marcos is usually very talkative and engaging. Now, he wouldn’t even look her in the eye.

My wife thought she might have said something that angered him. Maybe he was disappointed with his Christmas bonus. Whatever it was, she’s been on edge all week, knowing that this morning she might have to have it out with him.

He’s here now. My wife just came back in the house. She talked to Marcos and he was his usual jolly self. No problems. Everything is fine.

Last week? He was probably just having a bad day. Or didn’t feel well. Whatever it was, he’s over it now.

But here’s the thing–when you’re having a bad day, you can’t let your customer know it. Especially if you make the customer think she may have something to do with it.

How about you? Do you let your clients know it when you’re having a bad day? If you can’t hide it when you’re in a bad mood (or worse), you shouldn’t talk to clients. Have someone else do it until you recover.

But here’s the other thing–you can’t let your employees see you like that either. You may think that because you pay them you can let your guard down. Not a good idea.

Your employees need to see you at your best. It’s not fair to saddle them with your burdens. If you’re having an off day, it’s okay to let them know, maybe ask for some time, but even if they know it has nothing to do with them, nobody wants to be around Mr. Grumpy Pants all the time.

Putting on a pleasant face comes naturally to my wife. If she’s upset about something or having a bad day, you would never know it. When she went to talk to Marcos this morning, he never knew there had been an issue.

Me? I have a harder time hiding it. That’s why I did my best to hire naturally upbeat people. Then I married one of them.

Get more clients and increase your income. Click here to find out how.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Law office management, Personal development Tagged With:

Do you know what your client knows?

December 28, 2012 by
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When I opened my first law office shortly after law school, I volunteered one day a week at a legal clinic. I got some experience dealing with real people and I got a few paying clients.

Most of those clients were family law related. I had filed a few uncontested divorces but knew nothing about the grittier aspects of family law. A friend of mine from law school was also working there and I told him I thought I was in over my head. He told me not to worry, the clients would point me in the right direction.

The clinic’s clients were poor, mostly women, and mostly those who had suffered through bad marriages and abusive husbands. They had first hand knowledge of the concept of “domestic violence”. They knew what it meant to get a restraining order. They knew what they had to prove because they had either gone through the process before or they knew women who had. Sure enough, they pointed me in the right direction. In fact, many of them brought the correct court forms with them.

I learned a lesson that day. I learned to never assume anything about what my client did or did not know. True, most clients don’t know what we lawyers do, but some do.

Today, because of the Internet, many prospective clients know a lot about the law. They read articles and blog posts. They chat with others in forums. They watch or listen to seminars. When you talk to them, it is dangerous to assume that they don’t know anything. But it is equally dangerous to assume that they do.

The best course is to make no assumptions. Ask questions and find out what they know:

  • Do you have any experience with this issue?
  • Have you talked to any other attorneys about this?
  • Is this your first claim?
  • What are you looking to accomplish?

Listen to their answers. Listen to their questions. Also, pay attention to what they don’t say and don’t ask.

Many prospective clients today have incorrect or incomplete information. They think they know the way things are and their expectations are based on what they “know”. This is when you have to be especially careful. You have to help them understand the ways things really are without making them look bad or feel embarrassed.

On the other hand, sometimes clients know things we don’t know. They’ve lived with an issue longer, dug a little deeper, found the loopholes. We must never assume that because we went to law school and they didn’t that we are right and they are wrong. If they can point you in the right direction, let them.

Never make assumptions about what your clients know. Or about what you know.

If you want to earn more in the new year, I can help you. Start here.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Communication, Personal development

Do you charge wealthier clients higher fees for the same work?

December 27, 2012 by
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According to the Wall Street Journal, the Staples website quotes different prices for the same merchandise based on where the user is located when he visits the site. Staples said this is based on how close the visitor’s location is to a competitor’s store and various costs of doing business, but it appears to also be based on the customer’s ability to pay.

In New York, for example, certain products are priced higher in the boroughs of the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. By contrast, the same items sell in Brooklyn and Queens at a discount. These price differences come despite no more than 20 miles separating any two locations.

In other words, a Manhattan resident would save money on an item simply by driving to Queens and making the purchase there either online or through a mobile device.”

Apparently, this is not an uncommon practice among retailers.

It’s not illegal but is it “fair”? More importantly, is it smart business?

I think it is smart, and also fair. The retailer is entitled to charge whatever the market will bear. It’s called “free enterprise”. Where it gets dicey, however, is when customers learn about these practices and object to them. A retailer may win the pricing battle but lose the loyalty war.

Of course a savvy customer who knows about this practice might play the pricing game, logging onto web sites from different locations, to see which one gives him the lowest price.

Anyway, I got to thinking about this in terms of legal services. Is it smart business for a lawyer to charge different fees to different clients based on their ability to pay? From a business standpoint, I say why not?

If your clients don’t know (and there are no legal or ethical restrictions on doing so), why shouldn’t a lawyer be able to charge what the market will bear? Some attorneys routinely do precisely that. They size up a new client by their clothing or car or occupation and quote a fee commensurate with what they think that client can afford.

I can’t recall ever charging a client a higher fee because I thought he could afford it, but in looking back, had I thought about it, I probably would have. I sometimes charged clients lower fees, either because I wanted to help them out or because they were steady clients and I wanted to reward them for their allegiance. If there’s nothing wrong with this, there should be nothing wrong with charging some clients higher fees. Of course, by definition, charging some clients less means some clients are being charged more.

What do you think? Is there anything wrong with charging some clients more than others? Have you ever done it? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Getting ready for the new year? The Attorney Marketing Formula will show you what to do to make it a great year.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Fees and Billing, Law office management Tagged With: , ,

Christmas cards are for wimps

December 19, 2012 by
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When was the last time you wrote your clients?

No, I don’t mean sending a Christmas card, the same one you send to all your clients. I mean a real letter. With real words, not a holiday sentiment written by someone else.

A letter from you (not your firm), not to promote anything, or remind them to update their Will or do their fourth quarter Minutes. Just to say hello. Or to send them an article you thought they might like.

I know, you’ll get back to me on that.

Not long ago, this might have been a big project. Expensive, too. You don’t have that excuse today. Email makes it simple, and virtually free.

If you don’t have an email list for your clients, you need to. Make this your numero uno marketing project. At the top of your list. With a gold star and three exclamation points!!!

Because if you don’t, you won’t write your clients, at least not as often as you should. And if you do, you will have a mechanism for “fundamentally transforming” your practice. English translation: make a boat load of money.

An email list, and regular contact with it, to your clients, prospects, and professional contacts, is critical today. You want repeat business? Stay in touch with your list. You want referrals? Stay in touch with your list. You want traffic to your web site? Stay in touch with your list. All you need is a few minutes to write something and then click a button to send.

That’s the easy part. The hard part? Wanting to do it. See, I know you want the business. What I don’t know is if you believe me when I tell you that this is one of the best ways to get it.

If you’re afraid they don’t want to hear from you, you’ve got to get over that. Send them something interesting, valuable, or inspiring, and they will be glad you wrote and look forward to your next message. Stay in touch with them and when they need your services or know someone who does, they won’t go to a search engine to find a lawyer, they’ll go to their email inbox and find your number.

Lawyers are complicated. Marketing is simple.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Email, List building, Marketing legal services Tagged With:

How to piss off your clients

December 13, 2012 by
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We had a repairman to the house to fix our dryer. It’s a family owned company and we’ve used them before.

The repairman diagnosed the problem and said he had to order some parts. It would be a couple of days. No problem.

Then, out of the blue he asked my wife what kind of car she drives. Weird question. She told him. He asked her where she gets it washed. Weirder, right?

It turns out his kid’s school was holding a car wash as a fund raiser. He asked my wife if she would help out and buy a ticket. It’s only ten dollars. And then he stood there waiting for her to answer.

Awkward.

My wife said she felt like she was being pressured and she didn’t like it. She got the feeling that if she didn’t buy a ticket, the guy would mess up the repair or find something else that was wrong so he could jack up the price.

Why on earth would you do this to a client? Make someone uncomfortable like that. Feel guilty if they said no. It might be okay to hand out a flier, but to stand there staring at a client, waiting for them to buy is really bad form.

I don’t know how many tickets he sold that day but it wasn’t worth it. People are funny when it comes to money. I’m sure his employer got more than a few complaints.

When your kid’s school is having a fund raiser (bake sale, magazine sale, girl scout cookies, etc.), don’t strong arm your clients. Most people won’t complain. They just won’t return.

Need help with your marketing? Here you go.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations Tagged With:

What your veterinarian can teach you about marketing legal services

November 13, 2012 by
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A couple of weeks ago, our cat had a thorn stuck in his paw and was limping. We took Seamus to a new vet, someone we’ve never visited before. She removed the thorn and gave us antibiotics for the infection. She called a few days later (personally) to ask how Seamus was doing. (He’s fine.)

Did the vet call to protect herself against possible liability? I’m sure that’s part of it. Would she have called if we had come in for a check-up and nothing was wrong? I don’t know. What I do know is that getting that call meant a lot to us.

When your clients leave your office, do you call to find out if they’re okay? You should.

See how they’re doing. See if they have any questions. See if there’s anything else you can do for them. And while you’re at it, thank them again for choosing you as their attorney.

Do this yourself if possible. At the very least, have someone from your office call. It only takes a minute and yes, you can leave a voice mail.

If you want to convert a first time client to a lifetime client, you need to get the little things right. In a professional practice, the little things are the big things.

Marketing legal services is simple, if you know The Formula.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Law office management, Marketing legal services Tagged With:
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